# 1987 Minnesota Twins season

The 1987 Minnesota Twins season was the 27th season for the Minnesota Twins franchise in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, their 6th season at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the 87th overall in the American League. The Twins won the World Series for the first time since moving from Washington in 1961, the second time that the franchise won the World Series (the Washington Senators won it in 1924). Having won only 85 games during the 1987 regular season, they won the World Series with the then-fewest regular season wins since Major League Baseball expanded to a 162-game season in 1961, and the fewest of any team since the 1889 New York Giants (excluding the strike-shortened 1981 and the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 seasons and later surpassed by the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals who won 83 games that season). They also became the first team to win the World Series despite being outscored by their opponents in the regular season, having scored 786 runs and allowed 806.
Tom Kelly became the fifth manager to win a World Series in his first full season on the job, and one of seven total, as of 2023, to accomplish the feat.

## Offseason

* November 12, 1986: The Twins traded a player to be named later to the New York Mets for Ron Gardenhire. The Twins completed the trade by sending Dominic Iasparro (minors) to the Mets on April 4, 1987. Gardenhire would spend the next 28 years in the Twins Organization including a 13-year stint as manager from 2002-2014.
* January 9, 1987: Juan Berenguer was signed as a free agent by the Twins.
* February 3, 1987: Neal Heaton, Yorkis Pérez, Jeff Reed and minor leaguer Al Cardwood were traded by the Twins to the Montreal Expos for Jeff Reardon and Tom Nieto.
* February 20, 1987: Minor leaguer Mike Shade was traded by the Twins to the Montreal Expos for Al Newman.
* February 24, 1987: Billy Sample was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Twins.

## Regular season

The Twins were 85-77, first in the American League West, two games ahead of the Kansas City Royals. The team had one of the lowest winning percentages ever for a World Series champion, at .525. They also had the remarkably bad road record of 29-52 (.358 percentage) but made up for it winning 56 home games (best in MLB). Fortunately for the Twins, they played in a very weak division; only two teams finished above .500 and only 10 games separated the Twins from the last-place California Angels (the previous year's division champion) and Texas Rangers. The Twins' 85-77 was the lowest for a World Series champion for nearly two decades, until the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series with an 83-78 record.
1987 was the first year the Twins started using their modernized logos and uniforms, which are still in use today.
Only one Twin made the All-Star Game, outfielder Kirby Puckett. The highest paid player was Kent Hrbek at $1,310,000; followed by Bert Blyleven at $1,150,000.
Over a late August weekend at Milwaukee, Puckett went 10 for 11, with four homers and two doubles, raising his batting average 13 points. The feat tied a major league record.
Joe Niekro, a pitcher for the Twins, was suspended for 10 games when umpire Tim Tschida discovered an emery board in his pocket. Tschida suspected Niekro was scuffing the ball, and saw the emery board fly out of Niekro's pocket. Niekro said he was filing his nails in the dugout, but American League president Dr. Bobby Brown didn't believe him, and ordered the suspension. When the Twins won the pennant, Niekro set a major league record as he'd waited 20½ years since his debut to reach a World Series game.
2,081,976 fans attended Twins games, the sixth highest total in the American League.
The Homer Hanky was introduced in 1987's pennant drive. When the Twins made the playoffs for the first time since 1970, three members of that team remained with the club now seventeen years later. Bert Blyleven was the only remaining player; Tony Oliva became the hitting coach and Rick Renick the third base coach.

### Offense

This was the last year for a long time that the Twins were stocked with power hitters. In particular, Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, and Tom Brunansky combined to hit 125 home runs. (The team as a whole hit 196.) Hrbek, Gaetti, and Brunansky each surpassed 30 home runs, a number that no Twin would reach again until Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter in 2006.
Kirby Puckett led the AL with 207 hits.
Despite the power in their lineup, the Twins were outscored 806-786, one of the largest such differentials for a World Series champion.
Team Leaders :
| Statistic | Player | Quantity |
| HR | Kent Hrbek | 34 |
| RBI | Gary Gaetti | 109 |
| BA | Kirby Puckett | .332 |
| Runs | Kirby Puckett | 96 |

### Pitching

The top three starting pitchers, Frank Viola, Bert Blyleven, and Les Straker provided stability throughout the year. Mike Smithson, Joe Niekro, and Jeff Bittiger were less reliable. Newly acquired closer Jeff Reardon was a reliable option at the end of games. Juan Berenguer was the most reliable set-up man, posting a 3.94 ERA.
Bert Blyleven led the AL with 46 home runs allowed.
Team Leaders :
| Statistic | Player | Quantity |
| ERA | Frank Viola | 2.90 |
| Wins | Frank Viola | 17 |
| Saves | Jeff Reardon | 31 |
| Strikeouts | Frank Viola | 197 |

### Defense

The defense was not as strong as would be typical for Twins teams under manager Tom Kelly. Hrbek was the most reliable fielder at first base, and the outfield of Dan Gladden, Puckett, and Brunansky was reliable. Third baseman Gary Gaetti and center fielder Kirby Puckett each won their second Gold Glove Award.

### Season standings

vteAL West :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| Minnesota Twins | 85 | 77 | .525 | — | 56‍–‍25 | 29‍–‍52 |
| Kansas City Royals | 83 | 79 | .512 | 2 | 46‍–‍35 | 37‍–‍44 |
| Oakland Athletics | 81 | 81 | .500 | 4 | 42‍–‍39 | 39‍–‍42 |
| Seattle Mariners | 78 | 84 | .481 | 7 | 40‍–‍41 | 38‍–‍43 |
| Chicago White Sox | 77 | 85 | .475 | 8 | 38‍–‍43 | 39‍–‍42 |
| Texas Rangers | 75 | 87 | .463 | 10 | 43‍–‍38 | 32‍–‍49 |
| California Angels | 75 | 87 | .463 | 10 | 38‍–‍43 | 37‍–‍44 |

### Record vs. opponents

1987 American League recordvte Sources: :
| Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIL | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TEX | TOR |
| Baltimore | — | 1–12 | 9–3 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 4–9 | 9–3 | 2–11 | 5–7 | 3–10 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 1–12 |
| Boston | 12–1 | — | 4–8 | 3–9 | 7–6 | 2–11 | 6–6 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 6–7 |
| California | 3–9 | 8–4 | — | 8–5 | 7–5 | 3–9 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 3–9 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 5–8 | 5–7 |
| Chicago | 4–8 | 9–3 | 5–8 | — | 7–5 | 3–9 | 6–7 | 6–6 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 9–4 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 4–8 |
| Cleveland | 6–7 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 5–7 | — | 4–9 | 6–6 | 4–9 | 3–9 | 6–7 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 2–10 | 5–8 |
| Detroit | 9–4 | 11–2 | 9–3 | 9–3 | 9–4 | — | 5–7 | 6–7 | 8–4 | 5–8 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 7–6 |
| Kansas City | 3–9 | 6–6 | 8–5 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 7–5 | — | 4–8 | 8–5 | 5–7 | 5–8 | 9–4 | 7–6 | 8–4 |
| Milwaukee | 11–2 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 9–4 | 7–6 | 8–4 | — | 3–9 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 9–3 | 9–4 |
| Minnesota | 7–5 | 5–7 | 5–8 | 7–6 | 9–3 | 4–8 | 5–8 | 9–3 | — | 6–6 | 10–3 | 9–4 | 6–7 | 3–9 |
| New York | 10–3 | 6–7 | 9–3 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 6–7 | 6–6 | — | 5–7 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 6–7 |
| Oakland | 5–7 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 4–9 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 6–6 | 3–10 | 7–5 | — | 5–8 | 6–7 | 7–5 |
| Seattle | 8–4 | 5–7 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 4–9 | 8–4 | 4–9 | 5–7 | 8–5 | — | 9–4 | 2–10 |
| Texas | 5–7 | 5–7 | 8–5 | 6–7 | 10–2 | 4–8 | 6–7 | 3–9 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 4–9 | — | 3–9 |
| Toronto | 12–1 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 8–5 | 6–7 | 4–8 | 4–9 | 9–3 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 10–2 | 9–3 | — |

## Game log
### Regular season

1987 game log: 85−77 (Home: 56−25; Away: 29−52) :
April: 12–9 (Home: 7–3; Away: 5–6)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
1April 7Athletics5–4 (10)Frazier (1–0)Krueger (0–1)—43,5481–0W1
2April 8Athletics4–1Viola (1–0)Plunk (0–1)Reardon (1)12,5772–0W2
3April 9Athletics5–4Berenguer (1–0)Howell (0–1)—11,5863–0W3
4April 10@ Mariners8–1Smithson (1–0)Morgan (0–1)—38,1224–0W4
5April 11@ Mariners5–6Nunez (1–0)Reardon (0–1)—26,3124–1L1
6April 12@ Mariners8–5Blyleven (1–0)Langston (0–2)Berenguer (1)9,3585–1W1
7April 13@ Athletics3–6Howell (1–1)Frazier (1–1)—14,4475–2L1
8April 14@ Athletics9–8Atherton (1–0)Codiroli (0–1)Reardon (2)10,4356–2W1
9April 15@ Athletics5–2Smithson (2–0)Stewart (0–2)Reardon (3)17,1827–2W2
10April 17@ Angels1–2Witt (2–1)Blyleven (1–1)—36,1757–3L1
11April 18@ Angels0–1Candelaria (2–0)Viola (1–1)Moore (2)36,8817–4L2
12April 19@ Angels6–5Portugal (1–0)Sutton (0–3)Reardon (4)49,6278–4W1
13April 20Mariners13–5Smithson (3–0)Morgan (0–3)—11,9279–4W2
14April 21Mariners6–1Straker (1–0)Trujillo (1–1)—10,77610–4W3
15April 22Mariners3–4Langston (2–2)Frazier (1–2)—11,24710–5L1
16April 23Angels3–7Candelaria (3–0)Viola (1–2)Moore (3)14,20410–6L2
17April 24Angels1–8Sutton (1–3)Portugal (1–1)—20,11610–7L3
18April 25Angels8–7Reardon (1–1)Finley (0–1)—51,71711–7W1
19April 26Angels10–5Frazier (2–2)Cook (1–1)—19,11612–7W2
20April 28@ Blue Jays1–5Clancy (2–2)Viola (1–3)—21,18212–8L1
21April 29@ Blue Jays1–8Johnson (1–2)Smithson (3–1)—19,02012–9L2 :
May: 14–14 (Home: 9–8; Away: 5–6)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
22May 1Yankees7–4Blyleven (2–1)Rhoden (2–3)Reardon (5)23,53113–9W1
23May 2Yankees4–6John (2–0)Viola (1–4)Righetti (7)33,17313–10L1
24May 3Yankees4–3Frazier (3–2)Stoddard (0–1)Reardon (6)23,79814–10W1
25May 5Orioles4–5Bell (3–1)Smithson (3–2)Dixon (1)8,89114–11L1
26May 6Orioles0–6McGregor (1–4)Blyleven (2–2)—10,84014–12L2
27May 7Orioles5–2Viola (2–4)Flanagan (0–5)Reardon (7)14,19815–12W1
28May 8@ Yankees7–11Guante (2–1)Reardon (1–2)—25,92115–13L1
29May 9@ Yankees2–0Straker (2–0)Rasmussen (2–2)Reardon (8)27,22016–13W1
30May 10@ Yankees1–6Hudson (5–0)Smithson (3–3)—41,69116–14L1
31May 11@ Orioles10–4Blyleven (3–2)McGregor (1–5)—25,35317–14W1
32May 12@ Orioles7–10Dixon (3–2)Reardon (1–3)—14,27917–15L1
33May 13Blue Jays0–7Clancy (5–2)Portugal (1–2)—9,15817–16L2
34May 14Blue Jays4–16Stieb (2–2)Straker (2–1)—10,05317–17L3
35May 15Red Sox3–1Frazier (4–2)Hurst (4–4)—13,87818–17W1
36May 16Red Sox1–6Clemens (3–3)Blyleven (3–3)—23,41418–18L1
37May 17Red Sox10–8 (10)Atherton (2–0)Schiraldi (1–3)—20,71619–18W1
38May 19@ Indians3–4Schrom (3–4)Portugal (1–3)—7,04519–19L1
39May 20@ Indians8–2Berenguer (2–0)Candiotti (1–6)—6,22620–19W1
40May 21@ Indians3–6Swindell (3–3)Blyleven (3–4)—7,40120–20L1
41May 227:05 p.m. CDTTigers2–3Morris (5–2)Viola (2–5)—2:4315,42320–21L2
42May 237:05 p.m. CDTTigers7–5Anderson (1–0)Terrell (3–5)Reardon (9)3:1018,60121–21W1
43May 241:15 p.m. CDTTigers2–7Robinson (3–2)Atherton (2–1)—3:0716,35121–22L1
44May 26Brewers4–2Blyleven (4–4)Nieves (3–2)Reardon (10)23,27622–22W1
45May 27Brewers7–2Viola (3–5)Wegman (3–5)Frazier (1)22,94723–22W2
46May 28Brewers13–1Berenguer (3–0)Birkbeck (1–4)—26,20324–22W3
47May 296:35 p.m. CDT@ Tigers7–15Terrell (4–5)Straker (2–2)—2:2819,03124–23L1
—May 30@ TigersPostponed (rain) (Rescheduled May 31)
48May 31 (1)12:35 p.m. CDT@ Tigers9–5Reardon (2–3)King (2–4)—3:25n/a25–23W1
49May 31 (2)4:30 p.m. CDT@ Tigers11–3Frazier (5–2)Tanana (4–3)—2:5620,99326–23W2 :
June: 17–11 (Home: 10–2; Away: 7–9)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
50June 1@ Red Sox9–5Viola (4–5)Clemens (4–5)—20,22127–23W3
51June 2@ Red Sox5–6Schiraldi (3–3)Reardon (2–4)—16,91027–24L1
52June 3@ Red Sox6–7 (10)Schiraldi (4–3)Klink (0–1)—20,63827–25L2
53June 5Rangers9–15Harris (2–4)Blyleven (4–5)—16,09227–26L3
54June 6Rangers3–2 (13)Atherton (3–1)Williams (3–3)—24,99228–26W1
55June 7Rangers7–4Atherton (4–1)Russell (0–1)—15,79529–26W2
56June 87:05 p.m. CDTRoyals5–3Niemann (1–0)Gubicza (3–7)Reardon (11)2:3517,81530–26W3
57June 97:05 p.m. CDTRoyals5–2Niekro (1–0)Jackson (2–8)Atherton (1)3:0018,56331–26W4
58June 107:05 p.m. CDTRoyals4–3 (10)Reardon (3–4)Gleaton (1–2)—3:0418,56032–26W5
—June 11@ White SoxPostponed (rain) (Rescheduled June 12)
59June 12 (1)@ White Sox5–2Viola (5–5)Long (3–2)Reardon (12)n/a33–26W6
60June 12 (2)@ White Sox7–4Berenguer (4–0)Nielsen (0–1)Atherton (2)18,90634–26W7
61June 13@ White Sox2–6Dotson (4–4)Straker (2–3)James (8)28,08734–27L1
62June 14@ White Sox6–3Niekro (2–0)DeLeon (4–6)Berenguer (2)17,33435–27W1
63June 15@ Brewers5–0Blyleven (5–5)Wegman (5–6)—18,40336–27W2
64June 16@ Brewers7–3Viola (6–5)Crim (3–4)Reardon (13)21,61337–27W3
65June 17@ Brewers5–8Clear (5–1)Straker (2–4)Plesac (14)23,38937–28L1
66June 19White Sox7–6Reardon (4–4)Winn (2–3)—24,12338–28W1
67June 20White Sox5–10DeLeon (5–6)Blyleven (5–6)—33,63638–29L1
68June 21White Sox8–6Berenguer (5–0)Winn (2–4)Reardon (14)29,24039–29W1
69June 23Indians9–4Smithson (4–3)Candiotti (2–8)Frazier (2)17,39340–29W2
70June 24Indians14–8Straker (3–4)Swindell (3–7)—19,88541–29W3
71June 25Indians4–3Blyleven (6–6)Niekro (5–7)Reardon (15)27,48942–29W4
72June 26@ Rangers0–1Witt (3–3)Viola (6–6)Mohorcic (10)20,60542–30L1
73June 27 (1)@ Rangers6–11Correa (3–5)Frazier (5–3)Russell (2)n/a42–31L2
74June 27 (2)@ Rangers2–7Hough (8–3)Atherton (4–2)—35,67742–32L3
75June 28@ Rangers3–6Guzman (6–6)Smithson (4–4)Mohorcic (11)17,47742–33L4
76June 297:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals2–3 (5)Jackson (4–10)Straker (3–5)—1:2235,87242–34L5
77June 307:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals3–1Blyleven (7–6)Leibrandt (8–6)Reardon (16)2:4421,51543–34W1 :
July: 13–14 (Home: 7–3; Away: 6–11)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
78July 17:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals3–4Quisenberry (3–0)Atherton (4–3)—2:5926,89943–35L1
79July 27:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals3–10Saberhagen (14–2)Niekro (2–1)—2:4235,99243–36L2
80July 3Orioles6–5 (11)Reardon (5–4)Niedenfuer (1–1)—26,33144–36W1
81July 4Orioles4–1Straker (4–5)Bell (6–6)Berenguer (3)23,72445–36W2
82July 5Orioles4–3Blyleven (8–6)Niedenfuer (1–2)—21,29446–36W3
83July 6@ Yankees2–0Viola (7–6)Guidry (1–4)—20,14147–36W4
84July 7@ Yankees7–12Stoddard (2–1)Atherton (4–4)—27,69747–37L1
85July 8@ Yankees4–13Rhoden (11–5)Smithson (4–5)Clements (4)38,16847–38L2
86July 9@ Orioles3–1Straker (5–5)Bell (6–7)Reardon (17)22,65648–38W1
87July 10@ Orioles12–13Williamson (3–6)Frazier (5–4)—28,05748–39L1
88July 11@ Orioles2–1Viola (8–6)Griffin (1–3)—25,69049–39W1
89July 12@ Orioles0–5Schmidt (9–2)Niekro (2–2)—27,48649–40L1
58th All-Star Game in Oakland, California
90July 16Blue Jays2–5Key (10–6)Blyleven (8–7)Henke (18)34,33449–41L2
91July 17Blue Jays3–2Viola (9–6)Eichhorn (8–5)Reardon (18)28,23450–41W1
92July 18Blue Jays5–7Stieb (8–5)Niekro (2–3)—38,36550–42L1
93July 19Blue Jays7–6Schatzeder (1–0)Lavelle (1–1)Reardon (19)32,09551–42W1
94July 20Yankees1–7John (9–3)Straker (5–6)—34,96651–43L1
95July 21Yankees2–1Blyleven (9–7)Stoddard (2–2)—37,39152–43W1
96July 22Yankees3–1Viola (10–6)Rhoden (12–6)Reardon (20)40,05453–43W2
97July 23@ Blue Jays3–4Stieb (9–5)Frazier (5–5)—35,32053–44L1
98July 24@ Blue Jays6–8Eichhorn (9–5)Reardon (5–5)Henke (20)30,38253–45L2
99July 25@ Blue Jays13–9Schatzeder (2–0)Musselman (7–4)—36,39554–45W1
100July 26@ Blue Jays2–4Key (11–6)Blyleven (9–8)Henke (21)33,39354–46L1
101July 27@ Mariners4–3Viola (11–6)Nunez (3–2)Reardon (21)13,85855–46W1
102July 28@ Mariners1–6Morgan (8–11)Niekro (2–4)—13,49555–47L1
103July 29@ Mariners3–8Guetterman (9–2)Smithson (4–6)—14,32055–48L2
104July 31@ Athletics5–3Blyleven (10–8)Lamp (1–2)Reardon (22)32,09756–48W1 :
August: 13–15 (Home: 10–4; Away: 3–11)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
105August 1@ Athletics2–3Stewart (14–7)Viola (11–7)—40,92956–49L1
106August 2@ Athletics5–6 (11)Nelson (5–2)Reardon (5–6)—33,21556–50L2
107August 3@ Angels11–3Schatzeder (3–0)Witt (13–7)—33,98357–50W1
108August 4@ Angels3–12Sutton (8–9)Carlton (0–1)Lucas (2)37,37157–51L1
109August 5@ Angels1–6Candelaria (6–3)Blyleven (10–9)—34,05957–52L2
110August 6Athletics9–4Viola (12–7)Stewart (14–8)—39,17758–52W1
111August 7Athletics9–4Niekro (3–4)Lamp (1–3)—36,14659–52W2
112August 8Athletics9–2Carlton (1–1)Young (10–6)—50,23760–52W3
113August 9Athletics7–5Blyleven (11–9)Ontiveros (6–6)Reardon (23)33,94861–52W4
114August 11Angels7–2Viola (13–7)Candelaria (6–4)—39,16362–52W5
115August 12Angels2–8McCaskill (3–4)Straker (5–7)—33,03362–53L1
116August 13Angels1–5Witt (14–8)Carlton (1–2)—35,83762–54L2
117August 14Mariners6–3Blyleven (12–9)Morgan (10–12)—26,29163–54W1
118August 15Mariners14–4Smith (1–0)Guetterman (9–4)—31,15464–54W2
119August 16Mariners5–1Viola (14–7)Moore (5–15)—28,00665–54W3
120August 17Mariners4–2Straker (6–7)Langston (13–10)Reardon (24)29,62366–54W4
121August 186:35 p.m. CDT@ Tigers2–11Morris (14–6)Carlton (1–3)—2:3632,05366–55L1
122August 196:35 p.m. CDT@ Tigers1–7Terrell (10–10)Blyleven (12–10)—2:1238,16366–56L2
123August 2012:35 p.m. CDT@ Tigers0–8Alexander (1–0)Niekro (3–5)—2:4645,80466–57L3
124August 21@ Red Sox3–11Clemens (13–7)Viola (14–8)Gardner (5)33,49066–58L4
125August 22@ Red Sox5–6Schiraldi (8–5)Straker (6–8)—29,79466–59L5
126August 23@ Red Sox4–6Sellers (5–6)Carlton (1–4)Gardner (6)32,95666–60L6
127August 247:05 p.m. CDTTigers5–4Reardon (6–6)King (6–9)—3:0727,33867–60W1
128August 257:05 p.m. CDTTigers4–5Alexander (2–0)Niekro (3–6)Henneman (4)2:5230,63967–61L1
129August 267:05 p.m. CDTTigers8–10Petry (8–6)Reardon (6–7)Hernández (7)3:2929,26567–62L2
130August 28@ Brewers0–1Bosio (8–5)Straker (6–9)—22,46167–63L3
131August 29@ Brewers12–3Blyleven (13–10)Barker (2–1)—34,83468–63W1
132August 30@ Brewers10–6Atherton (5–4)Crim (5–6)Reardon (25)22,41769—63W2 :
September: 16–11 (Home: 13–5; Away: 3–6)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
133September 1Red Sox0–9Sellers (6–6)Niekro (3–7)—25,50869–64L1
134September 2Red Sox5–4Straker (7–9)Nipper (8–11)Reardon (26)19,56570–64W1
135September 3Red Sox2–1 (10)Atherton (6–4)Gardner (1–6)—20,00971–64W2
136September 4Brewers2–1 (12)Berenguer (6–0)Plesac (5–5)—27,38072–64W3
137September 5Brewers2–1Atherton (7–4)Crim (5–7)—51,12273–64W4
138September 6Brewers0–6Higuera (15–9)Carlton (1–5)—36,58673–65L1
139September 7White Sox8–1Bittiger (1–0)LaPoint (3–3)—22,62374–65W1
140September 8White Sox3–4Bannister (12–10)Blyleven (13–11)Thigpen (9)12,36074–66L1
141September 9White Sox2–1Viola (15–8)Winn (4–6)—15,39475–66W1
142September 11@ Indians13–10 (11)Reardon (7–7)Gordon (0–3)Berenguer (4)7,96476–66W2
143September 12@ Indians4–5Jones (4–4)Berenguer (6–1)—9,15676–67L1
144September 13@ Indians7–3 (10)Reardon (8–7)Candiotti (7–16)—7,47477–67W1
145September 14@ White Sox2–8LaPoint (4–3)Viola (15–9)—7,89877–68L1
146September 15@ White Sox2–6McDowell (1–0)Niekro (3–8)—7,94777–69L2
147September 16@ White Sox10–13DeLeon (10–12)Smithson (4–7)Thigpen (11)8,92177–70L3
148September 18Indians9–4Blyleven (14–11)Akerfelds (2–5)—23,17378–70W1
149September 19Indians3–1Viola (16–9)Candiotti (7–17)Reardon (27)23,58179–70W2
150September 20Indians3–2Straker (8–9)Yett (3–8)Reardon (28)18,90680–70W3
151September 22Rangers6–4Niekro (4–8)Harris (5–10)Reardon (29)18,29481–70W4
152September 23Rangers4–2Berenguer (7–1)Guzman (14–12)Reardon (30)20,64082–70W5
153September 24Rangers4–0Viola (17–9)Hough (17–12)—23,49683–70W6
154September 257:05 p.m. CDTRoyals4–6Farr (4–3)Schatzeder (3–1)Garber (6)3:0752,70483–71L1
155September 2611:00 a.m. CDTRoyals4–7Davis (5–2)Reardon (8–8)Garber (7)3:0446,26383–72L2
156September 271:15 p.m. CDTRoyals8–1Blyleven (15–11)Leibrandt (15–11)—2:1253,10684–72W1
157September 28@ Rangers5–3Berenguer (8–1)Guzman (14–13)Reardon (31)9,98685–72W2
158September 29@ Rangers5–7Hough (18–12)Atherton (7–5)—10,32885–73L1
159September 30@ Rangers1–2Witt (8–10)Straker (8–10)—9,30985–74L2 :
October: 0–3 (Home: 0–0; Away: 0–3)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceRecordBox/ Streak
160October 27:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals3–6Saberhagen (18–10)Viola (17–10)—2:2322,57885–75L3
161October 37:05 p.m. CDT@ Royals2–4Leibrandt (16–11)Blyleven (15–12)Garber (8)2:1828,08285–76L4
162October 41:35 p.m. CDT@ Royals1–10Gubicza (13–18)Niekro (4–9)—2:2426,34185–77L5 :
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Postponement Bold = Twins team member :

### Postseason Game log

1987 Postseason game log: 8−4 (Home 6−0; Away 2−4) :
AL Championship Series: vs. Detroit Tigers: 4−1 (Home: 2–0; Away: 2–1)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceSeriesBox/ Streak
1October 77:28 p.m. CDTTigers8–5Reardon (1–0)Alexander (0–1)—2:4653,269MIN 1–0W1
2October 87:38 p.m. CDTTigers6–3Blyleven (1–0)Morris (0–1)Berenguer (1)2:5455,245MIN 2–0W2
3October 1012:10 p.m. CDT@ Tigers6–7Henneman (1–0)Reardon (1–1)—3:2949,730MIN 2–1L1
4October 117:23 p.m. CDT@ Tigers5–3Viola (1–0)Tanana (0–1)Reardon (1)3:2451,939MIN 3–1W1
5October 122:07 p.m. CDT@ Tigers9–5Blyleven (2–0)Alexander (0–2)Reardon (2)3:1447,448MIN 4–1W2 :
World Series: vs. St. Louis Cardinals: 4−3 (Home: 4–0; Away: 0–3)
#DateTime (CT)OpponentScoreWinLossSaveTime of GameAttendanceSeriesBox/ Streak
1October 177:35 p.m. CDTCardinals10–1Viola (1–0)Magrane (0–1)—2:3955,171MIN 1–0W1
2October 187:25 p.m. CDTCardinals8–4Blyleven (1–0)Cox (0–1)—2:4255,257MIN 2–0W2
3October 207:33 p.m. CDT@ Cardinals1–3Tudor (1–0)Berenguer (0–1)Worrell (1)2:4555,347MIN 2–1L1
4October 217:29 p.m. CDT@ Cardinals2–7Forsch (1–0)Viola (1–1)Dayley (1)3:1155,347Tied 2–2L2
5October 227:42 p.m. CDT@ Cardinals2–4Cox (1–1)Blyleven (1–1)Worrell (2)3:2155,347STL 3–2L3
6October 243:00 p.m. CDTCardinals11–5Schatzeder (1–0)Tudor (1–1)—3:2255,293Tied 3–3W1
7October 257:26 p.m. CSTCardinals4–2Viola (2–1)Cox (1–2)Reardon (1)3:0455,376MIN 4–3W2 :
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Postponement Bold = Twins team member :

### Notable transactions

* March 31, 1987: Minor leaguers Jose Dominguez and Ray Velázquez and a player to be named later were traded by the Twins to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Dan Gladden and minor leaguer David Blakely. The Twins completed the deal by sending Bryan Hickerson to the Giants on June 15.
* May 10, 1987: Bill Latham was traded by the Twins to the New York Mets for Jayson Felice (minors).
* May 22, 1987: Sal Butera was signed as a free agent by the Twins.
* June 2, 1987: 1987 Major League Baseball draft
** Willie Banks was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (3rd pick overall).
** Terry Jorgensen was drafted by the Twins in the 2nd round.
** Larry Casian was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round.
** Mark Guthrie was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round.
** Chip Hale was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round
** Bret Boone was drafted by the Twins in the 28th round, but did not sign.
** Craig Paquette was drafted by the Twins in the 36th round, but did not sign.
* June 2, 1987: Eric Bullock was traded by the Houston Astros to the Minnesota Twins for Clay Christiansen.
* June 7, 1987: Mark Salas was traded by the Twins to the New York Yankees for pitcher Joe Niekro.
* June 24, 1987: Danny Clay and Tom Schwarz (minors) were traded by the Twins to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dan Schatzeder and cash.
* July 31: The Twins traded a player to be named later to the Cleveland Indians for Steve Carlton. The Twins completed the trade by sending minor leaguer Jeff Perry to the Indians on August 18.
* September 1: The Twins traded a player to be named later to the Boston Red Sox for designated hitter Don Baylor. The Twins completed the deal by sending minor leaguer Enrique Rios to the Red Sox on December 18.

### Opening Day Lineup

Opening Day Starters :
| # | Name | Position |
| 32 | Dan Gladden | DH |
| 4 | Steve Lombardozzi | 2B |
| 34 | Kirby Puckett | CF |
| 8 | Gary Gaetti | 3B |
| 14 | Kent Hrbek | 1B |
| 24 | Tom Brunansky | RF |
| 27 | Mark Davidson | LF |
| 7 | Greg Gagne | SS |
| 11 | Tom Nieto | C |
| 28 | Bert Blyleven | P |

### Roster
## Player stats
### Batting
#### Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| C | Tim Laudner | 113 | 288 | 55 | .191 | 16 | 43 |
| 1B | Kent Hrbek | 143 | 477 | 136 | .285 | 34 | 90 |
| 2B | Steve Lombardozzi | 136 | 432 | 103 | .238 | 8 | 38 |
| 3B | Gary Gaetti | 154 | 584 | 150 | .257 | 31 | 109 |
| SS | Greg Gagne | 137 | 437 | 116 | .265 | 10 | 40 |
| LF | Dan Gladden | 121 | 438 | 109 | .249 | 8 | 38 |
| CF | Kirby Puckett | 157 | 624 | 207 | .332 | 28 | 99 |
| RF | Tom Brunansky | 155 | 532 | 138 | .259 | 32 | 85 |
| DH | Roy Smalley | 110 | 309 | 85 | .275 | 8 | 34 |

#### Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| Al Newman | 110 | 307 | 68 | .221 | 0 | 29 |
| Randy Bush | 122 | 293 | 74 | .253 | 11 | 46 |
| Gene Larkin | 85 | 233 | 62 | .266 | 4 | 28 |
| Mark Davidson | 102 | 150 | 40 | .267 | 1 | 14 |
| Sal Butera | 51 | 111 | 19 | .171 | 1 | 12 |
| Tom Nieto | 41 | 105 | 21 | .200 | 1 | 12 |
| Don Baylor | 20 | 49 | 14 | .286 | 0 | 6 |
| Mark Salas | 22 | 45 | 17 | .378 | 3 | 9 |
| Billy Beane | 12 | 15 | 4 | .267 | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Pittaro | 14 | 12 | 4 | .333 | 0 | 0 |

### Pitching
#### Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Bert Blyleven | 37 | 267.0 | 15 | 12 | 4.01 | 196 |
| Frank Viola | 36 | 251.2 | 17 | 10 | 2.90 | 197 |
| Les Straker | 31 | 154.1 | 8 | 10 | 4.37 | 76 |
| Mike Smithson | 21 | 109.0 | 4 | 7 | 5.94 | 53 |
| Joe Niekro | 19 | 96.1 | 4 | 9 | 6.26 | 54 |

#### Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Mark Portugal | 13 | 44.0 | 1 | 3 | 7.77 | 28 |
| Steve Carlton | 9 | 43.0 | 1 | 5 | 6.70 | 20 |
| Joe Klink | 12 | 23.0 | 0 | 1 | 6.65 | 17 |
| Roy Smith | 7 | 16.1 | 1 | 0 | 4.96 | 8 |
| Allan Anderson | 4 | 12.1 | 1 | 0 | 10.95 | 3 |
| Jeff Bittiger | 3 | 8.1 | 1 | 0 | 5.40 | 5 |

#### Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
| Jeff Reardon | 63 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 4.48 | 83 |
| Juan Berenguer | 47 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3.94 | 110 |
| Keith Atherton | 59 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4.54 | 51 |
| George Frazier | 54 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4.98 | 58 |
| Dan Schatzeder | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6.39 | 30 |
| Randy Niemann | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.44 | 1 |

## Postseason

See 1987 American League Championship Series and 1987 World Series.
The Twins won the American League Championship Series beating the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 1. Gary Gaetti was named the ALCS MVP. He'd set a record by homering in his first two post-season at-bats. The Twins won the series by winning two of the three road games at Detroit despite a 4-8 regular season record vs the Tigers as well as 29 regular season wins on the road.
The Twins won all four home games to top the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Frank Viola was named the Series' MVP even though it was the Twins bats that were instrumental in the first three wins outscoring St. Louis 29-10 in the process.

## Farm system

| Level | Team | League | Manager |
| AAA | Portland Beavers | Pacific Coast League | Charlie Manuel |
| AA | Orlando Twins | Southern League | George Mitterwald |
| A | Visalia Oaks | California League | Danny Schmitz |
| A | Kenosha Twins | Midwest League | Don Leppert |
| Rookie | Elizabethton Twins | Appalachian League | Ray Smith |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Kenosha